THE FIGHT CALIFORNIA'S LGBTQ MONTHLY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2019
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<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 1
LEE DAGGER OF BIMBO JONES<br />
MILLIONS OF MOMENTS OF<br />
<strong>2019</strong><br />
SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPETATION<br />
SCHEDULED FOR MOST PERFORMANCES<br />
pride festival<br />
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Tara Macri | Ted Fox w/Joe Musser & The Roadhouse Rebels | Jessica Inserra | Probe 7 | DJ Eric Ornelas | DJ Galaxy<br />
Ryan Sky | DJ Vaughn Avakian | DJ Drew G | DJ Aaron C | DJ Addict | Risqué | Now Serving The Chilldren | Modern Men<br />
Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus | A Cabbello | Siobhan Velarde | Arenas Fashion Show | Miss Bea Haven | DJ Austin Del Rio<br />
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Madyx | Ayline Artin | MARY | Isabelle | Steven Fales | Torrey Mercer<br />
Emcees Bella da Ball & Alexander Rodriquez | Anita Rose & Company | Anita Treadmill & Divas On The Dance Floor | Erica September Carrington<br />
Ms. Bea Haven | Iowna Mann | Lilly White | Pink Lemonade | Samantha Montgomery | Candace Camera | Charles Herrera | Cher-Javier | Dan Westfall<br />
Desert Rose Playhouse | Eve Holmes | Jason Hull | JB | Jesse Jones | Johnny Gentleman | Lola Showgirl & Team Lola | Marina Mac | Maxx Decco | Patsi<br />
Phillip Moore | Randell McGlasson | Robbie Wayne | Sadie Ladie | Steven Michael Dance Machine | The Mod Squad Variety | Francesca Amari<br />
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MEDIA SPONSORS<br />
MARK DUEBNER DESIGN<br />
2 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> | www.thefightmag.com
Join us in the Centennial Celebration of<br />
Grand<br />
Canyon<br />
National Park<br />
by donating in support of protecting our<br />
natural, historic, and cultural resources.<br />
<strong>LGBTQ</strong><br />
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@grandcanyonconservancy @GCConservancy @grand_canyon_conservancy<br />
Use Centennial hashtag #GoGrand<br />
www.grandcanyon.org<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 3
<strong>THE</strong>CONTENTS<br />
FEATURES<br />
16 JUSTICE FOR GUSTAVO<br />
ANTI-GAY POLICE BRUTALITY<br />
18 TRANSGENDER DAY OF<br />
REMEMBRANCE<br />
WEDNESDAY, <strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 20<br />
20 BREAKING <strong>THE</strong> SILENCE<br />
<strong>THE</strong> HRC/CNN DEMOCRATIC<br />
<strong>LGBTQ</strong> TOWN HALL<br />
22 SENSE OF PURPOSE<br />
FOLSOM’S PATRICK FINGER<br />
STEPS DOWN<br />
24 LOVE CONQUERS ALL<br />
PALM SPRINGS PRIDE<br />
HEADLINERS ONEUP DUO<br />
28 END OF AN ERA<br />
SCOTTY BOWERS PASSES AWAY<br />
30 FROM KARMA TO DHARMA<br />
GAY AUTHOR JOHNSON CHONG<br />
32 SUBLIME BEAUTY AND PAIN<br />
DORIAN WOOD’S XAVELA LUX<br />
AETERNA<br />
36 SAVING <strong>THE</strong> PLANET<br />
<strong>THE</strong> BIG GAY BIDET<br />
DEPARTMENTS<br />
08 <strong>THE</strong> TALK<br />
10 <strong>THE</strong> CITY<br />
12 <strong>THE</strong> BAY<br />
14 <strong>THE</strong> ROSTOW REPORT<br />
26 <strong>THE</strong> SHARE<br />
37 <strong>THE</strong> SPORT<br />
38 <strong>THE</strong> ART<br />
40 <strong>THE</strong> EVENT<br />
44 <strong>THE</strong> CALENDAR<br />
4 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> | www.thefightmag.com<br />
ON <strong>THE</strong> COVER<br />
& ON THIS PAGE<br />
ONEUP DUO<br />
ADAM AND JEROME BELL-BASTIEN<br />
COVER PHOTO, CONTENTS PHOTO & FEATURE PHOTO<br />
BY JOSH DRAKE
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 5
<strong>THE</strong>EDITOR<br />
>> IN THIS ISSUE
Injected drugs?<br />
Shared needles?<br />
Shared needles?<br />
Had unprotected sex?<br />
Had unprotected sex?<br />
In the last year have you...<br />
the In the last year have you...<br />
In<br />
Yes? Think so? Maybe?<br />
G EG T E T ET E S T E. D . G E T T R E A T E D . K N O W Y OU R U R S TS AT TA UT S U.<br />
S .<br />
G E T E S T E D . G E T R E A T E D . K N O W Y O U R S T .<br />
Yes? Think so? Maybe?<br />
FIND US AT PALM SPRINGS PRIDE<br />
US AT FIND US AT PALM SPRINGS PRIDE<br />
PALM DR. & RDS.)<br />
(ON PALM CANYON DR. #ETWEEN AMADO & #ARISTO RDS.)<br />
(ON<br />
(ON PALM CANYON DR. #ETWEEN AMADO & #ARISTO RDS.)<br />
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<strong>THE</strong>TALK<br />
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<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 9
<strong>THE</strong>CITY<br />
>> BY PAULO MURILLO
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<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 11
<strong>THE</strong>BAY<br />
>> BY BRENDEN SHUCART
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<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 13
<strong>THE</strong>ROSTOWREPORT<br />
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<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 17
TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
By the Community. For the Community.<br />
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<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 19
BREAKING<br />
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SILENCE<br />
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<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 23
LOVECONQUERSALL<br />
Palm Springs Pride headliners OneUp Duo on living<br />
and working together, pushing each other to be better<br />
versions of themselves and love at first sight.<br />
BY MARK ARIEL | PHOTO BY JOSH DRAKE<br />
OneUp Duo is a pop/soul vocal<br />
combo comprised of husbands<br />
Adam and Jerome<br />
Bell-Bastien. The Duo was<br />
featured on Season 15 of NBC’s The Voice<br />
and made history as the show’s first ever<br />
same-sex duo.<br />
Since performing on The Voice,<br />
OneUp Duo has traveled extensively<br />
across America and headlined various<br />
Pride Festivals, sang the National Anthem<br />
for the Brooklyn Nets and NY Yankees,<br />
and lit up stages as lead singers for “The<br />
Disco Nights,” NYC’s premiere disco<br />
experience.<br />
OneUp Duo will perform at this month’s<br />
Palm Springs Pride Festival on November 3.<br />
In an interview with <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> the Duo<br />
talk about living and working together,<br />
pushing each other to be better versions<br />
of themselves and love at first sight.<br />
Were you both singers/entertainers<br />
before you met?<br />
Adam: We both had full-time careers in<br />
music before we met each other. Jerome<br />
has been a professional singer since his<br />
teens and began his career at the age of<br />
17 as an opening act for Destiny’s Child. I<br />
had been singing full-time since 2009—I<br />
got my start as a lead vocalist aboard<br />
cruise ships.<br />
When, where and how did you meet?<br />
Jerome: We met on September 24,<br />
2017 in Minneapolis, MN. At the time,<br />
Adam was singing with a MN-based vocal<br />
group and I was cast to be Adam’s love<br />
interest in the group’s video for Toxic by<br />
Britney Spears. We were residents of<br />
NYC at that time which made it seem<br />
even more incredible that we met in the<br />
middle of the country!<br />
When did you realize you wanted to<br />
be together?<br />
Adam: We knew we wanted to be<br />
together the instant we met. You know<br />
that whole “love at first sight” thing? Well,<br />
its very real!<br />
“OUR UPCOMING<br />
MUSIC VIDEO RELEASE<br />
LET ME COME HOME<br />
IS AN ATYPICAL<br />
HOLIDAY SONG THAT<br />
SPEAKS TO <strong>THE</strong><br />
STRAINED FAMILY<br />
RELATIONSHIPS MANY<br />
<strong>LGBTQ</strong>+ PEOPLE<br />
EXPERIENCE DURING<br />
<strong>THE</strong> HOLIDAYS.”<br />
You live and work together. How<br />
has coupledom been for you?<br />
Jerome: It has been inspiring, challenging,<br />
beautiful, and rewarding. We<br />
constantly push each other to be better<br />
versions of ourselves, not only for each<br />
other, but for the world around us.<br />
How did the idea for OneUp come<br />
about?<br />
Jerome: Our first winter together was<br />
spent mostly hibernating in our apartment,<br />
playing a LOT of Super Mario Brothers!<br />
When we were thinking of what to name<br />
our duo before auditioning for The Voice,<br />
“1up” (a free life in Mario Bros.) was ringing<br />
loud in our heads. We liked the sound<br />
of it and quickly thought of a couple ways<br />
to justify the name....Just like getting a free<br />
life in the video game, we felt as though<br />
we each gained a free new life when we<br />
met each other. Sappy?? ...we know lol…<br />
The other thing we like to say is that our<br />
voices one-up each other in a positive way.<br />
Our individual ranges, tones, and skills<br />
come together to support one another in<br />
ways we could have never imagined.<br />
How was your experience on The<br />
Voice?<br />
Jerome: It was truly a beautiful experience.<br />
The casting process was a lot of<br />
fun and began with a member of the<br />
casting team seeing a video we posted<br />
on Instagram. One thing led to another<br />
and we found ourselves singing together<br />
on a stage for the very first time in front<br />
of a studio audience, cameras, and four<br />
superstars with their backs turned to us!<br />
Even though our time on the show was<br />
short, we felt that we gave it our all and<br />
that we are still winning in life. The show<br />
was a great way for us to be seen, heard,<br />
and to share our non-traditional love with<br />
America. It also opened doors to amazing<br />
performance opportunities which are still<br />
unfolding and surprising us!<br />
You are performing at Palm Springs<br />
Pride this year—how did that come<br />
about?<br />
Jerome: Performing at Palm Springs<br />
Pride is a direct result of being contestants<br />
on The Voice! We now have an awesome<br />
booking agent named Stephen Ford<br />
(divasanddjs@gmail.com) who has been<br />
booking us at Pride Festivals throughout<br />
the country, as well as HRC events. We<br />
feel so fortunate to have someone like<br />
Stephen who believes in our talent and<br />
message of love and positivity.<br />
What are your plans for the future?<br />
Adam: We have so many plans for<br />
the future, but the most pertinent plan is<br />
our upcoming music video release for our<br />
original holiday song. Let Me Come Home<br />
is an atypical holiday song that speaks<br />
to the strained family relationships many<br />
<strong>LGBTQ</strong>+ people experience and the hurt<br />
we feel during the holidays when we<br />
desire closeness with family the most.<br />
The song is currently available on all digital<br />
platforms, but the video will be released<br />
on November 29 and really enhances the<br />
hopeful message of the song. We believe<br />
that its time for the holiday music genre<br />
to embrace real stories about how difficult<br />
this time of year can be.<br />
For more on OneUp Duo visit: www.oneupduo.com.<br />
24 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> | www.thefightmag.com
COVER FEATURE
<strong>THE</strong>SHARE<br />
THIS PAGE IS SPONSORED BY<br />
>> BY PAULO MURILLO
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 27
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JOHNSON CHONG
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<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 33
34 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> | www.thefightmag.com
WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK<br />
A safe space for gay, bi and trans youth<br />
PEP is an emergency medication that<br />
can stop HIV infection when taken<br />
within 72 hours of exposure.<br />
in South L.A.<br />
At Men’s Health Foundation, we offer<br />
same-day PEP appointments and<br />
free or low-cost medication.<br />
Call our 24-hour PrEP/PEP hotline<br />
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<strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 35
BIG GAY BIDET
<strong>THE</strong>SPORT<br />
>> JAKE ATLAS
<strong>THE</strong>ART<br />
>> <strong>LGBTQ</strong> ARTISTS
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 39
<strong>THE</strong>EVENT<br />
>> DAVID CONTRERAS, PRIMALE PHOTOGRAPHY
ONYX SOUTHWEST
<strong>THE</strong>EVENT<br />
>> PHOTOS BY BENNO, MIGUEL ANGEL REYES & ROBERT GREEN
TOM OF FINLAND
<strong>THE</strong>CALENDAR<br />
>> THINGS TO DO
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<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 45
46 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> | www.thefightmag.com
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> <strong>2019</strong> | <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> 47
LENNIE ROMAN<br />
GENERAL<br />
MANAGER<br />
“As the new general manager of<br />
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hassle of the typical macho “hard sell”<br />
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48 <strong>THE</strong> <strong>FIGHT</strong> | www.thefightmag.com
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